by Meg Cowley
I mentally added magical lock picking to his list of nefarious talents and held back a sigh. What on earth was he doing? “What about the suspect who was detained earlier?”
“What suspect?”
“On the news.”
He had his poker face on. Not a flicker. This guy was a real pain in my ass.
“Give me the address. I’ll go take a look myself.” I remembered how the box felt. I could feel its magic burning my tongue, corroding my very skin, just from the memory. If I went to Jamie’s last known location, perhaps I could track it. Just maybe.
Marc scrawled the address on a scrap of paper for me, and I left at once. Duncan clapped me on the shoulder.
“Take care, Zoe. You know what we’re dealing with. Any problems, phone me at once. I’ll stay on top of things here for now.” He shot a meaningful glare at Marc, who looked less than satisfied.
As I hired a cab to take me to the address, I tried Jamie’s phone. I knew it was silly, but it seemed strange. I’d seen him a few hours ago, spoke to him on this very number, and now he was gone. It went straight to a disconnected tone despite my hope.
I mentally ran through everything I knew of him. He was from a very well to do family who had excommunicated him when he chose to study an Ordinary profession, even though he had managed to win a place at Cambridge to study on merit alone, and had managed to breeze through a first-class degree in archaeology. When he’d crossed to the wrong side of the law, their part in his life was over for good. He had no family to count on or to speak of anymore.
His degree told me nothing. Of course, he was interested in the same kind of artefacts as me. I’d known him professionally for years, in addition to our personal dalliance, though the latter, I liked to forget as often as possible. I still couldn’t piece together why on Earth he’d take something like Pandora’s Box, knowing full well how dangerous it was after speaking to me. I felt like I was missing some part of the puzzle. I hoped I found him in time so I could ask him.
Maybe I’d punch him first, though. He’d earned that.
I could feel the faintest trace of the box lingering like a malevolent odour when I arrived. I suppressed a shudder. I followed it, casting this way and that with charms, through back alleys. My magic latched onto it like a rope, tugging me towards it: or rather, tugging me behind it, to follow the path it had taken.
It was a frustrating, slow process. Perhaps it was the time that had passed since it had come this way, perhaps it was the MI5 shield upon it, but the essence was faint. My frustration grew. Every moment I tracked it at a snail’s pace was a moment Jamie, and the box, extended their lead. I traced it all the way to a park, where there was a concentration in some bushes, and then to the road, where the trail vanished. I sighed. He’d gotten into a vehicle, then. The trail was cold.
I rang Duncan to tell him. It was already getting dark and I hurried down the pavements now because London at night was waking up. I didn’t like this part of the city at night, put it that way.
He answered on the second ring, and he was annoyed, but not at me. “Don’t worry about not finding anything,” he said as I explained. “Because Mr. Nowak has both redeemed and condemned himself tonight. He gave me the slip on some official business, but it turns out that was a ruse, and you’re on a wild goose chase. Jamie was here.”
“Was?”
“Yes, was. Before we arrived. He was the suspect detained.” I could tell his jaw was clenched. “Nowak let him go.”
“What!?” I exploded.
“My reaction, too. Hear me out. Jamie’s somehow, possibly managed to turn this into a positive. He doesn’t have the box anymore. It’s with his boss, this ‘Ghost’ or whoever she is. The plan is for them to ransom it back to the British Government. They’re on their way out of the country now, apparently.”
“Why isn’t Jamie with them?”
“Apparently, they double crossed him. Rich, isn’t it? One criminal double crossing another? Anyway, Nowak is now sending Jamie back undercover. Apparently, Jamie realises precisely how stupid he’s been and wants to help make things right. He is, as we speak, trying to infiltrate his own organisation again so he can recover the box.”
“And we play what part in this, exactly?” My head was reeling. This was insane.
“Well, Nowak fitted him with a tracker. Come back in, because at least we have eyes on Jamie, even if we don’t have any on the box. We’ll go from there.”
I raised an eyebrow. How very devious of the MI5 inspector. I supposed I’d expected nothing less. Marc definitely wasn’t a brawn kind of guy. Though, if I’m honest, I hadn’t pegged him for a brain guy, either.
Wasn’t life full of surprises today?
Chapter Three
I hated the waiting game. I watched the blip on the screen: Jamie, on a map, in East London. What on earth was he doing there? I longed to have eyes there for real. I didn’t cope well with sitting on the side-lines. Duncan had already told me off for the incessant drumming my fingers made on the table.
It wasn’t out of excess energy to spend, though. It was more because I didn’t trust Jamie to do the job right. I didn’t trust most people to do a job right, in all honesty. The saying goes, ’if you want something doing right, do it yourself’, and I was a testament to that. I thrived on getting out there and getting things done, not waiting, watching a flashing blob on the screen, and trusting someone else. Especially, when that someone else was Jamie Oxford. He hadn’t proven his competence thus far.
I was dozing off in the dark, stifling room as my phone rang. On silent, it buzzed harshly on the desk, startling me from sleep. I fumbled for the answer button, not recognising the number.
“Zoe Stark?” he said.
“Who wants to know?” I mumbled, yawning and stretching.
“Jamie Oxford.” He sounded sheepish. Instantly, I was awake.
“You!” I screeched. “Talk fast, scumbag. Do you have any idea what I had to endure to get that box back safely? And you, you swoop in and take it? Do you have any idea what you've done?" I glared at the dot on the screen as if I could eviscerate him there and then.
"Only too clearly. Look, I'm an ass, but I need your help. We both know I've stuffed up. I lost the box, but I know where it’s going. Want to get it back – together?"
Static crackled down the line as I sighed into the microphone. "I suppose I don't really have a choice. But after this is done, I'm going to kill you."
“We can sort out the er… fine details later. Look. I’m in East London.”
“I know.” I’m watching you on the screen, I didn’t add.
“Huh? Well, meet me as soon as you can? We have a trip ahead of us. You’d better pack and, erm, can you bring me some clothes? I’m a little high and dry.”
“Not a chance. You have some severe making up to do.”
“Right.” He really was thrown out by this. Gone was the usual swagger and flirting. “I’ll meet you at Paddington station. I’ll tell you everything when I see you. We’re going to have to be on the next Heathrow flight to Tel Aviv. I’ll pay you back for the fare.”
I scowled into the phone. “Jamie, I’m going to kill you for this, I swear it.” He knew it was an empty threat, but he didn’t laugh. We were too deep into this. Too much was at stake.
“Thanks, Zoe.” For once, he sounded sincere. “I’ll be at Paddington as soon as possible.”
Already, his dot was flying across the screen. He must have jumped in a cab. I hoped it was a cab. I hoped he hadn’t added grand theft auto to his list of illegal talents.
I hung up and uncrossed my stiff legs. “Duncan,” I called.
His head popped around the door in moments. I relayed Jamie’s call. Duncan ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Better get to Paddington, then,” was all he said.
I stood and slung my jacket on. “I guess, see you soon.”
“We’ve got eyes on you, don’t worry.” He nodded to the screen. “Stay with Jamie and we’ll know
where you are.” He smiled. “If anyone can do this, Zoe, it’s you. You retrieved Pandora’s Box once. You can do it again.”
My smile was more of a grimace as I left, already booking two one-way tickets to Tel Aviv on the company credit card.
~
Jamie was a different person when I met him. Tired and dirty, his hair matted and his clothes in dire need of a wash. I raised an eyebrow.
“What happened to you?”
“Don’t ask,” he said tiredly. “Look, I could use a freshen up; hang tight for a minute.”
He rushed into the men’s room whilst I purchased our tickets to the airport. When he emerged, his face was clean, his hair was wet and hand brushed, and his clothes were straight and clear of dirt. Magic was handy in a bind, that was for sure. I shouldered my travel bag, which I’d nipped home to collect, and we loitered on the platform whilst we waited for the next shuttle service to arrive.
My anger had abated, especially now I saw how withdrawn he was; he really wasn’t himself. But frustration still seethed in my belly, the indignation that I had to go out and do a job again to get this box back when I’d already done the hard work once.
“Tell me everything,” I said quietly as I cast a privacy shield around us. I could tell he knew when I met his eyes with a flat stare that I meant business. No nonsense. No flirtation. Just the truth.
“I wanted to help, I really did,” he said, and I saw the flicker of an apology in his eyes. “When you said MI5 had taken it, I knew your hands would be tied, but that didn’t extend to mine. I thought we could take it back. The plan was to destroy it, or keep it safe under Magicai protection. Please, believe me; I was trying to do the right thing.”
“We?” I ignored his plea.
“My team, and I,” Jamie said. His brow furrowed. “Though, I get the feeling we’re not a team anymore, seeing as my boss just ordered my best friend to kill me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “He did a terrible job of it.”
He smiled weakly. “For a moment, I thought he would. My boss – ex-boss – is on her way now, with my friend Nick and the rest of the team, to Tel Aviv. They’re going to ransom the box back to the United Kingdom, or so Cleo – that’s my ex-boss – says. I wouldn’t be surprised if she changes her mind, though. If she’s greedy enough to want whatever money the UK can scrape together, she’s far more likely to be enticed in by the ludicrous sums available to certain other people around the world.”
I could imagine exactly who he thought of: rich Middle-Eastern princes, Russian oligarchs, and I’m sure even the North Koreans would want this prize. I sighed. “So, where do we start? The box is gone. It’s probably out of the country already, and when it arrives in Tel Aviv, do you know where to look?”
“Not exactly,” Jamie admitted. He looked away. “Not at all, actually.”
I held in a huff.
“I do have Nick, though,” he added, with a small smile that had a hint of his usual cheek in it. “So, I guess that means we have an inside guy. I have his phone, so he can contact us when it’s safe.”
“But until then, we’re at a loss.”
“Um, yeah.”
“Okay.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes as a headache stabbed at me. “Well, inside guy. That’s something, I suppose.”
The train pulled into the station and Jamie dived off despite my protests to grab a burger from a food cart before we boarded. My stress levels spiked as he dashed back onto the platform just in time for us to board before the doors sealed shut. It was a small train, so we stood crammed together next to the doors with the other unlucky few who hadn’t gotten a seat.
“Can you not do that?” I snapped at him.
He’d already wolfed half of the burger, and in a few seconds, had finished the rest. The grin he gave me was entirely Jamie. “Sorry, sweetie, let me make it up to you.”
I growled and shoved him away. “Pack it in, Jamie. Enough games. I don’t know why I shouldn’t squeeze you for every bit of information you have and leave you here to rot in MI5 whilst I go do the job on my own. Yes, I know the deal you cut with Nowak.”
His eyebrow rose, but his smirk didn’t fade. “I know it’s a matter of time,” he said.
“What?”
“‘Til you succumb to my charms. Again,” he added suggestively with a wink.
“When hell freezes over, mate.”
“Well, you might want to be nicer than that to me.”
“And why is that?” I scoffed.
“Because to avoid arousing suspicion, we’re going to have to pretend to be a couple all the way to Tel Aviv.” His grin nearly cracked his face.
He was loving this. What an ass! But, I hated most of all that he was right. It was the best cover story; the only one that would see us pass under any radars. I scowled.
“That’s the spirit.”
“No inappropriate touching, no kissing, and definitely no funny business. If you don’t keep your hands to yourself, I will make them itch like a million fire ants are chewing on them.” My charm bracelet flared with magic before I dampened it, to let him know I was serious.
He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m a gentleman, Zo, you can count on me.”
“Zo-EE, damn it.”
~
He made the most of it all the way to Tel Aviv, with his arm draped casually around my shoulder, whilst I turned my inner rage into simpering sweetness. I glared daggers every time he turned away, and every coy smile was a silent promise of death.
To his credit, he didn’t push it, but I could tell he was absolutely loving it. How many days was I going to have to spend fending him off? I had a job to do. I didn’t have time for this crap. We’d done this before and it hadn’t ended well, but it didn’t seem to dissuade him. When would he give up?
We spent the plane journey at least separated by the rigid metal armrest. It was the most personal space I’d had in hours, which was saying something. It was fantastic. Well, as fantastic as several hours crammed in a tiny economy seat by the plane’s toilet could be. I wished Hayley could have used her Traveller skills to transport us, but trusting Jamie with another secret was the last thing I wanted.
I took the opportunity to get to the bottom of everything Jamie knew; I had to go into this with as much knowledge as possible. I had no idea who I was dealing with. “There must be more. What else can you tell me? What does it look like now? MI5 placed it in some kind of bio hazard box when they took it. Big, bulky thing. I’m guessing that wasn’t the case when you stole it?”
Jamie shook his head. “Little case. Crazy, really. Tacky plastic covering on whatever tech they had inside it, but I’m not sure what protection it really offered. I could sense it.” He shuddered.
I knew exactly what he meant. The tang of that evil magic was pervasive.
“So, the box is no longer protected, effectively.”
“No, I don’t reckon so. Cleo is Magicai, though.” My ears pricked. “She knows a little about the box, and she’ll be able to feel it. She’s smart enough to know it’s as dangerous as it is valuable. If she’s sensible, she’ll place some wards on it herself to avoid any accidents happening, but it’s nothing compared to what’s needed.”
“We’re all at risk, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay,” I mused. I looked around us. The other passengers were all plugged into their TV’s, reading, or napping. “How many are on the team?”
Jamie counted on his fingers. “Over ten. She didn’t say how many were flying through Stanstead. I think she’ll keep this operation small, though. She can’t risk a mole.”
I snorted.
“Yeah, exactly.” Jamie flashed me a smile. “Nick is our mole, I guess.” He winked conspiratorially.
“What’s in it for him?” I whispered and frowned. “Why betray his boss? Is he Magicai, too? If he’s Ordinary, does he realise how dangerous she is? Doesn’t he want to be filthy rich, too?”
“Woah, what
is this, an MI5 interrogation? No, Nick’s an Ordinary, and he definitely doesn’t know how dangerous Cleo is. He did want the money, originally, but I managed to persuade him it was wrong.” Jamie shrugged.
I paused as the air hostess drew closer, waiting until she had passed, just in case. “That easily? You’re not telling me something. You promised to be honest, Jamie.”
“Look, it’s nothing bad; nothing that will harm our efforts. If anything, it’ll help us because Nick knows what’s at stake. He has a daughter. He barely sees her and he wants custody. He knows now the only way to do that is to be legitimate. No dirty money, especially off the back of something like Pandora’s Box. The danger it poses to his little girl… Nick’s onside. I’d stake my life on it. He won’t betray me.”
“And he’ll definitely call you?”
“Yes, when it’s safe for him to do so. I took his phone so he’d know the number by heart. We might not be able to contact him for now, but wait, we’ll hear from him soon, I reckon.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right, Zo.” He smirked at me.
“You’re insufferable.” I rolled my eyes.
His grin widened. “It’s part of my charm.”
I snorted with laughter. “Pandora’s Box has more charm than you.”
“It’s alright. I know you’re in denial. You’ll succumb to me soon.”
I smiled sweetly at him, and for a moment, his grin froze and his eyebrow rose. Perhaps, with anticipation that he might have finally won me over, or perhaps, he wondered if I toyed with him. I leaned in and his breathing caught. The former.
“I told you,” I said in a honeyed tone. “When hell freezes over.” I stuck my tongue out, turned away, and shut my eyes to catch a nap before we landed.
He sighed.
Chapter Four
Tel Aviv was just as wet as London, if not quite as cold, though it was brisk enough in the early morning chill. I huddled in my jacket as the wind lashed rain at us. I always did forget to bring an umbrella. The airport shuttle arrived and we made the transfer to Terminal Three of the Ben Gurion airport where we could get the shuttle train directly to Tel Aviv. It was modern, sleek and clean. A welcome, refreshing change from the staleness of the plane.
